Citrous fruit server



p 1935- H. HARGREAVES 2,015,142

C ITROUS FRU I T SERVER Filed April 19, 1935 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 24, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CITROUS FRUIT SERVER Henry Hargreaves, Providence, R. I., assignor to Hargreaves and Marshall, Providence, R. I., a firm composed of Henry Hargreaves and George Marshall Application April 19, 1935, Serial No. 17,226

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a citrous fruit server designed for table use, and has for one of its objects the supporting of a section or slice of lemon or similar fruit so that it may be picked up and the juice squeezed therefrom without the user touching the fruit in the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a squeezer so mounted as to stand and hold the slice of fruit upright when placed upon a horizontal surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a squeezer which in addition to its usefulness will be attractive and ornamental to assist in decorating of the dining table.

Other objects consist of simplicity and certam novel features of construction which will be specifically described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing the device with a slice of fruit in position as served at the dining table;

Fig. 2 is an elevation: partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing how the device is used.

In the use of lemon for flavoring food, the handling of a slice is objectionable and also frequently difiicult, and in order that these undesirable effects may be eliminated, I have provided a device which will support a piece of citrous fruit up away from and out of contact with the table and yet may be easily picked up and manipulated to exude some of the juice from the slice of fruit without the fingers of the user contacting the slice of fruit; and the following is a detailed description of the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

Referring to the drawing, the device consists of a pair of complemental plate members II] and II having concave inner surfaces I2 and I3 and an irregular contour resembling somewhat a scalloped shell. These plate members are integrally connected by a resilient U-shaped portion [4 and as these plates are moved towards each other the U-shaped portion is placed under tension which, when pressure is released, causes the plates to open up again and resume the position shown in Figure 1. r

A base I8 consists of an inverted cup providing a top wall 20 with a tapered side wall I! and a bottom wall 15 abuts against the inner surface of a tapered wall I1 and is secured in place by the rolled edge l9 thereof.

The top wall 20 of the base i8 is recessed centrally as at 2! and conforms to the shape of the lower portion 22 of the U-shaped portion l4 which is seated therein. A spike 23 which is designed to pierce and hold a slice of fruit is centrally 5 located between the plates I ll and II and has a reduced portion 24 which provides shoulders 25 to bear on the surface 26 about an opening 2''! in the U-shaped portion [4. This reduced portion 24 extends through the opening 27 in the resil- 10 ient portion, through an opening 28 in the recess 2| and through opening H5 in the bottom wall and is there riveted over the bottom surface of the plate I5 which firmly secures all the parts together. The recess 2| locates and prevents the 15 plates from turning on the surface 20 of the base IS.

The fruit slice 3!] is positioned on the spike 23 previous to being served and pressure on the plates will squeeze the slice which eliminates the 20 fingers of the diner from coming in contact with the sliced fruit.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of 25 resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: 30

1. A lemon slice squeezer comprising a base provided with a top and bottom wall, a pair of plate members resiliently connected and mounted on said top wall, and a spike positioned between said plate members and having a shoulder 35 thereon bearing against said resilient connection, and a portion extending through the connecting top wall and bottom wall and riveted to the bottom of the base to hold all three parts together.

2. A lemon slice squeezer comprising a base having a top Wall provided with a recess therein, a

pair of plate members resiliently connected and movable toward each other to compress a slice of lemon placed therebetween, and means for 45 mounting and securing said plate members in said recess.

3. A lemon slice squeezer comprising a base having a top wall provided with a recess therein, a pair of plate members connected by a resilient 5O U-shaped portion and movable toward each other to compress a slice of lemon placed therebetween, and means for securing said U-shaped portion in said recess.

4. A lemon slice squeezer comprising a base 55 having a top wall provided with a recess having an opening therein, a pair of plate members integrally connected by a resilient U-shaped portion and movable towards each other to com- 5 press a slice of lemon placed between therein, a

bottom wall on said base provided with an opening therein, and a spike positioned centrally of said base and located between said plate members, said spike having a reduced portion extending through said U-shaped portion and through said openings and secured to said bottom wall. HENRY HARGREAVES. 

